Jonathan Martlew

Course: PhD in Application of Fe(III) Reducing Bacteria for the in-situ Bioremediation of Contaminated Sediments.

"As an undergraduate I spent four years in Manchester and returned here when I graduated from Leeds. The city boasts a plethora of sites and activities to occupy oneself with outside of university and with the large student population has facilities dedicated to their amusement!"

"Having completed a BSc in Environmental and Resource Geology at Manchester and an MSc in Environmental Pollution Control at Leeds, I spent a year working in Environmental Consultancy before deciding that I wanted further academic challenges. I had spent an amount of time in the area of contaminated land and wanted to pursue my interest in the development of efficient and cost-effective techniques to remediate brown field sites, especially utilising geomicrobiological techniques. As soon as I knew this was the direction I wanted to head in, the choices became restricted, but the Geomicrobiological Research Group at Manchester with the associated Williamson Research Facility stood out from the rest.

"The research group itself is probably the foremost group in the area with a number of links to projects and research in the US, as well as to industry in the UK and Europe. The group’s facilities are currently being expanded to accommodate the increased interest in the field and having access to the massive research power of the departments analytical resources is a major boon. All of this made Manchester my first choice for furthering my interest in the field.

"When I completed my PhD I have a number of options open to me, both in academia and in the commercial world. There are a variety of groups interested in the field of bioremediation, such as environmental consultants, heavy industry and environmental regulators, but whichever path I choose I know from past experience that the careers guidance provided by the university will mean I won’t just be relying on the great name of Manchester University!"